30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Players I Hate to Love #4: Niklas Lidstrom

Certain teams bug the heck out of me and the Detroit Red Wings are one of them. Since I became a San Jose Sharks fan back in the early 90's, the Red Wings have never missed the playoffs and have won four Stanley Cup Finals. In my mind, they're the New York Yankees of hockey.

Which is why you won't usually see this particular Sharks fan cheering for anyone wearing a Red Wings' jersey But Niklas Lidstrom is the exception. Actually, I can't say I've ever rooted for #5. But over the years, it's hard not to respect what he's done for his team and for the sport itself.

See for yourself. Here's a list of his major accomplishments:

12x NHL All-Star (Did not attend 2009 All-Star Game)

10x NHL First Team All-Star

7x James Norris Memorial Trophy Winner

2001-02 Conn Smythe Trophy Winner

4x Stanley Cup Champion

2006 Olympic Gold Medal Winner (Team Sweden)

1,564 NHL Games Played (Most w/One Team in NHL History)

878 Assists (21st in NHL History)

+450 Plus/Minus (10th in NHL History)

So when I read about his retirement on ESPN earlier today, I was relieved, sad, and happy... all at the same time. I'm relieved that Lidstrom will no longer be helping his teammates light up the lamp against the Sharks. On the other hand, it's sad knowing that his amazing NHL career is officially over. The good news is he's retiring on his own terms and there's no doubt he's one of the greatest to play the game.

6 comments:

As a Penguins fan, I have the same feeling toward the Red Wings, yet I have a great amount of respect for Lidstrom. He has had an INSANE amount of accomplishments and seems to be an all-around good guy.

About Me

I've been collecting cardboard off and on since the early 80's. I'm presently collecting. But who knows what the future holds in store for me.
One thing is for certain... I'll have my blog to help relive some of my favorite hobby moments.